It took some time, but residents of Pelee Island will soon be able to enjoy high-quality, high-speed internet service.
Pelee Island will soon be connected to the mainland with state-of-the-art fibre cables, to bring upgraded internet coverage to that community. The hookup is part of a $20-million project announced Thursday by Windsor-Tecumseh MP Irek Kusmierczyk, Essex County Warden Gary McNamara, and Pelee Island Deputy Mayor Dave Dawson.
Kusmierczyk said island residents have been at a disadvantage, as the COVID-19 pandemic has meant more people are working and interacting with others from home. He said internet coverage on the island has not always been reliable.
"For the 300-plus permanent residents of the island, and up to 4,000 seasonal residents, this means they're unable to fully participate in our rapidly-evolving digital world," said Kusmierczyk.
Rob Petruk of Gosfield North Communications, which will be providing the internet service, said the work is one of the largest projects of its kind in Canada.
"We will be installing 75 kilometres or so of state-of-the-art submarine fibre cable, which will be securely and safely placed across the lake bed of Lake Erie," said Petruk. "Arguably, this will be the longest freshwater fibre link in Ontario, if not Canada."
The $20-million, which will achieve the goal of hooking up every home and business on Pelee Island within two years, consists of $14.5-million being pledged by Ottawa, and the rest by the provincial government.
Dawson is elated by the news, and he called the announcement the biggest infrastructure boost for the community since hydro was brought there in 1955.
"Pelee Island residents are pretty resilient, and they find a way to get things done," said Dawson. "But this broadband will make things a lot easier and will reduce a lot of anxiety. I just can't say enough about how important this is going to be to Pelee."
The Pelee Island project is part of an effort by Queens Park to bring high-speed internet to every corner of Ontario within the next four years. The $20-million in funding announced Thursday is also expected to cover internet upgrades for portions of Lakeshore, Tilbury, Wheatley, and Caldwell First Nation.
Construction will begin before the end of the summer and be completed by 2023.
---with files from Adelle Loiselle